First Corinthians 7:38 says that both marrying and staying unmarried can be good choices, with remaining single described as the better of the two in Paul’s judgment. Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth, answering questions the believers had sent him about marriage, singleness, and how to live faithfully in a city full of pressures.
So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better.
1 Corinthians 7:38 (WEB)
What 1 Corinthians 7:38 Means
The verse begins with “So then,” which tells you it is a summary of what Paul has just argued. He has been describing a man who must decide whether to give his daughter, or the young woman in his care, in marriage. Paul’s conclusion is that the man who makes that arrangement “does well,” and the man who chooses not to “does better.” Both paths are presented as honorable.
The word “better” is the key. Paul is not saying marriage is wrong or sinful. Earlier in the chapter he has said plainly that marriage is no sin and that anyone who marries does not sin. What he is comparing is usefulness for the Lord’s work in a time of pressure. He wants the Corinthians to be free from distraction so they can serve God wholeheartedly.
The verse does not promise that either choice will bring happiness, success, or any particular outcome. It describes a judgment about what fits well with devotion to God in a given situation. Paul himself frames it as his counsel, not a command from the Lord, and he says so openly later in the chapter.
The Context of 1 Corinthians 7:38
First Corinthians is a letter Paul wrote to a church he had founded in Corinth, a busy port city known for its wealth, mixed population, and sexual immorality. The Corinthian believers had many questions about marriage, sexuality, and whether they should remain in their existing relationships. Chapter 7 is Paul’s answer to a list of those questions. Traditionally, Paul is regarded as the author, and the letter was addressed to the whole congregation.
Verses 35 through 40 are part of a longer discussion about the freedom to serve the Lord without distraction. Just before this verse, Paul says he is offering guidance “for your own profit,” not to restrict them, and verses 36 and 37 describe a father’s options in more detail. Just after it, verse 39 teaches that a widow is free to remarry, but only in the Lord, and verse 40 gives Paul’s personal opinion that she is happier if she remains single. Read in that setting, verse 38 is one step in a careful, pastoral argument rather than a standalone rule about marriage.
Key Phrases in 1 Corinthians 7:38
1 Corinthians 7:7
Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.
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In this verse Paul says he wishes everyone could be as he is, but he recognizes that each person has a particular gift from God. This helps explain why verse 38 treats marriage and singleness as different gifts, each suited to different believers rather than a ranking of worth.
Matthew 19:12
For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it.”
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Jesus speaks here of people who choose to remain unmarried for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. His words support Paul’s view that singleness can be a deliberate, honorable choice made for devotion to God, which sheds light on why Paul commends it in verse 38.
A Short Prayer From 1 Corinthians 7:38
Lord, you know the desires of my heart and the pressures I feel about my future. Help me to hear your voice clearly as I make decisions about relationships, marriage, or remaining single. Give me a steady heart that is free from fear and comparison. Let my life, in whatever season you have given me, be undivided in its devotion to you and useful in your service. Keep me close to you, and help me trust that you are faithful in every path. Amen.
